History

The East Africa Character Development Trust(EACDT) was created in 2013.

Its founders had strong links with East Africa, having either been born, educated or worked there.

All were members of Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club (KKCC) which, while based at the Nairobi Club, also has a branch in the UK.

The founders drew inspiration from the KKCC’s success in developing young players, originally through its colts section, started in 1930, subsequently replaced by a new Development Programme in the 1980s.

Such was the success of those programmes that, from among hundreds of emerging young cricketers, one former colt played for England for 12 years, another captained Kenya against (amongst others) India, and others represented their country.

And the growth and substance of its achievement in cricket has added enormously to the quality of life and character of those who have played.

A minnow in world cricket, Kenya reached the semi-final of the Cricket World Cup in 2002, creating huge East African interest in the sport.

In 2012, no fewer than 11 of the 20 in the centrally contracted national squad came from the Development Programme.

The founders were equally inspired by the achievements of The Cricket Foundation in the UK through its ‘Chance to Shine’ programme, which struck a chord with the founders as the sport is so lacking in the curriculum of schools in East Africa.

That inspired the Trustees to achieve more than producing good cricketers, by linking a carefully-crafted character education programme to the cricket programme.

They had the opportunity to produce good citizens by combining character education to the widely recognised benefits the playing of sport can bring to young people.

The stage was set, and EACDT’s ground-breaking dual programme that will change lives through sport and character development got underway in June 2014.